The group, called Act Now on Climate, announced its formation Thursday, headed by Corey Platt, who was political director for the Democratic Governors Association, which Inslee chaired last year.
If Gov. Jay Inslee announces a bid for president, as he’s widely expected to do soon, he’ll have support from a newly formed super PAC.
The group, called Act Now on Climate, announced its formation Thursday, headed by Corey Platt, who was political director for the Democratic Governors Association, which Inslee chaired last year.
In a statement, Platt called climate change “the most pressing issue of our time and the most critical issue the next President will have to address,” saying the PAC was formed “to ensure that the conversations surrounding who should be our next President also include a robust discussion of how we can ensure the very survival of our planet.”
That echoes repeated statements by Inslee, who has said he’s seriously considering a bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination as a candidate who would make fighting climate change the top priority.
Most Read Local Stories
The second-term governor traveled last month to the early primary state of New Hampshire and has said he’ll announce his 2020 intentions within weeks. His longtime communications director, Jaime Smith, has recently taken a two-week leave of absence for what his office described only as “a special project.”
As a super PAC, Act Now on Climate can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money, and will disclose its donors. The Washington, D.C.-based group announced it will not accept corporate donations.
Christy Setzer, a spokeswoman for the PAC, previously worked for the presidential campaigns of Vice President Al Gore, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and Sen. Christopher Dodd. Setzer said Thursday the PAC just filed paperwork and had no donations to report yet.
Inslee has established connections with wealthy environmentalist donors, including California billionaire Tom Steyer, whom he met with privately in December during a trip to San Francisco. Steyer had publicly mulled his own presidential candidacy, but said in January he would not run, and would instead spend $40 million on his ongoing efforts to convince Congress to impeach President Donald Trump.
Asked whether Steyer was backing the new PAC, Setzer said via email “we haven’t spoken to Steyer, but appreciate all he’s done on this issue and hope he’d be supportive of us. If Jay Inslee runs, he would be our first call.”